James a



(No Model.)

J. A. WHITNEY.

ENVELOPE 0R COVERING FOR CIGARS.

No. 271,006. Patented Ja;n.23, 1883.

Witnesses Uniren STATES PATENT @rrica.

ENVELOPE OR COVERING FOR CIGARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 271,006, dated January 23, 1883.

' Application filed September 12, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

- Dobbs Ferry, in the county of Westchester vention.

and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Envelopes or Coverings for Cigars, of which thefollowing is aspecification. This invention relates to the protection from atmospheric agencies of cigars, cheroots, 850., by means of a protective envelope constructed or provided with means whereby, when required, it may be readily removed from. the cigar, cheroot, or the like, thereby obviating the slow and careful manipulation required in the removal of a closely-applied envelope of flexible material devoid of means for facilitating its detachment.

Figure l is a perspective view, representing a blank for an envelope such as is used in one modification of my said invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cigar provided with an envelope and stripping, severing, or removing device, according to one modification of my said invention; and Fig. at is a perspective view, showing the operation of stripping, severing, or removing the envelope from the cigar, as provided for by said modification of my said invention. Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, and in like manner representing a modification of my said invention. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively transverse sectional and side views, representing another modification of my said invention. Figs. Sand 9 are views corresponding to Figs. 6 and 7, and represent another modification of my said invention. Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view, representing another modification of my said in- Fig. 11 is a perspective view corresponding to Fig. 1, and illustrating another modification of my said invention. Fig. 12 is a perspective view corresponding to Figs. 1, 5, and 11, and illustrating another modification of my said invention. Fig. 13 is a side view, illustrating a modification in the formais rolled or wound upon the cigar so as to be snugly secured thereon to protect the same from dampnes undue dryness, or other atmospheric agencies. This envelope may be made of any suitable pliant or flexible material; but in order to most advantageously carry into effect my said invention, should be made of thin paper thoroughly impregnated with paraffine or wax-such, for example, as is very com- -monly sold in the market for various purposes under the name of waxed paper] The material, preparatory to being placed upon the cigar, cheroot, .or the like, should be out to suitable size and shape to form a blank. As represented in Fig. 1, this blank has one of its edges folded once or more upon itself, so as to provide a thickened portion or rib composed of two or more layers or thicknesses of the material superposed one upon another, this thickened portion or rib being comparatively nar-- row, as represented at a. This blank is then applied to the cigar, cheroot, or the like, (indicated at B,) with the thickened portion or rib a next to the surface of the cigar, and the blank is wound around the cigar preferably two or three times, or more, if desired, the rib being inclosed within the successive coils of the blank and confined next to the cigar, the ends of the blank being then closed preferably by axially twisting them upon themselves, as indicated in Figs. 2, 4, 7, and 9, thereby inclosing the cigar within the envelope formed by placing the blank upon the cigar, as aforesaid, withthe rib to extending lengthwise of the said envelope. This closing of the ends of the envelope by twisting, or by whatever other means employed, is such as to compress or, so to speak, condense the material into aprojecting spur or shank, b, which is stronger than the ciroumjacent portions of the envelope, thereby constituting'a stripping, severing, or removing device, so that by grasping this shank and pulling it sidewise it will fracture the adjacent surrounding portion of the envelope circumferentially at the end of the cigarthat is to say, at the base of the said spur or shank bthereby preparing the way for and facilitating the performance of subsequent manipulation to wholly remove the envelope from the cigar.

The rib, being composed of several (two or more) thicknesses of the material, has greater tensile strength than that portion of the envelope at the outer sidethereof, and thus constitutes another or modified form of stripping, severing, or removing device, so that by grasping one of the projecting spurs or shanks b and drawing the same laterally in the direction of the rib the envelope will first yield circumferentially at the base of the contiguous spur or shank b, asjust herein explained, whereupon, the lateral application oft'orcebeing continued, the rib a will tear its way lengthwise of the envelopein other words, of the cigar. The

twisting or compression of the end or ends of the envelope should be in such manner that the inner end of the spur or shank b will be snug to the adjacent end of the cigar, so that thejunciion of the said inner end of the tongue or spur with that circumferential portion of the envelope upon said adjacent end of the-cigar may form a line or space of demarkation,

so to speak, along which the aforesaid circumferential fracture of the end of the envelope may take place, and the fracture or rupture, following the line of the rib a from one end toward the other of the cigar, severs the envelope and enables the same tobe stripped with the slightest degree of effort from the cigar. The compact or condensed structure of the tongue or spur and its hereinbefore-described relation to the said line or space of demarkation being best assured when the envelope is made of the parafifined or waxed paper hereiubefore referred to, inasmuch as said material, from its peculiar waxy and inelastic character or consistency, enables the tongue or spur to retain its compressed condition when twisted to shape withoutany tendency tounfold or open, which, if suffered to occur, would impair theefliciency of thetongue or spur when actuated to strip,

sever, or remove the envelope from the cigar. When preferred the blank may be folded upon itself, as shown in Fig. 5, to form the rib a at any desired distance from its inner edge or approximately-toward the middle of the blank, care being taken that when the blank is rolled or wound upon the cigar, cheroot, or the like, the rib lies next to the cigar and underneath the superposed layers of the envelope, the latterbeing twisted at its ends or otherwise suitably secured to form spurs or shanks b, projecting from the ends of the cigar to seal the cigar within the said envelope, and afford means for circumferentially rupturing the end of the latter. The rib it thus provided is capable of operation for stripping, severing, orremoving the envelope in the same manner as when provided as represented in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

When preferred the blank may be so proportioned that when placed upon the cigar its opposite edges will meet with sufficient longitudinal margins at one side of the cigar to be then united by an interlocking joint or seam formed by folding the two edges of the blank itself constitutes a stripping, severing, or removing device, by means of which the envelope may be stripped,severed, or removed from the cigar in substantially the same manner as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

When desired the stripping, severing, or removing device may consist, as in Figs. 8 and 9, of a cord or strong thread of cotton, linen, or other fiber laid longitudinally contiguous to the cigar, cheroot, orthe like, with the envelope rolled or wound around the latter over the cord,and with the said cord extending through one or both of the spurs or shanks bof the envelope, care being taken that at least one end of the cord be secured in place with sufficient firmness to resist the longitudinal strain exerted upon the cord in the operation of stripping, severing, or removing the envelope, this latter being done by grasping one of the said spurs or shanks of the envelope, and with it the adjacent end of the cord, and by a lateral strain causing the cord to tear its way outward from one end of the cigar toward the other, the cord in this operation serving the and being indicated by the same referonce-letter. It will be observed that when the projecting ends of the envelope. are twisted, as described, the inclosed extremities of the strip, cord, slip, or strand, as the case may be,forming the stripping, severing, or loosening device a, constitute each a core or nucleus, around which the looser or sheet-like adjacent end portion of the envelope is wound or twisted, said core or nucleus enabling a denser and more compressed and consequently a stifi'er and more efficient spur or shank b to be formed than when the sheet-material is simply twisted or compressed without such core or nucleus.

When desired there may be used, instead of the cord, a narrow strip, (also indicated by reference-letter 00,) of strong Manila paper or other similar flexible material of suitable tensile strength, as represented in Fig. 10, and which, if desired, may be attached to the inner side of the blank-that is to say, the side nearest the cigar when the blank is rolled or coiled thereon to form the envelope-by any suitable adhesive material-as, for example, parafline applied ata suitably warm temperature. When the envelope is duly placed upon the cigar, cheroot, or the like, this strip operates in the same manner and for the same purpose as the strips (it represented in Figs. 1 to 9, including the ribbed joint represented at a in Figs. 6 and 7.

IIO

The strip of strong paper or like flexible material, as thus applied to the blank, is represented in Fig. 11, the same being in'this figure also indicated by the reference-letter a.

When desired the blank, in the process or operation of manufacturing the paper, may

.have a narrow thickened rib or portions formed as the rib a represented in Figs. 1 to 1l,inclu-.

sive, or the other equivalent stripping, severing, or removing devices hereinbefore described, and also indicated by said referenceletter a.

When preferred the stripping, severing, or. removingdevice a may be composed ofa strand of comparatively stiff material-as, for example, a sliver of bamboo-reduced to suitable diameter and length/or a small metallic wire arranged in-substantially the same position with reference to the cigar and envelope as the thread or cord hereinbefore set forth.

As concerns some of the features of my said invention, it is immaterial whether the ends of the envelope be closed by twisting, as described, or by other means-as, for example, by tying the same with a suitable strong cord or thread, as represented at c in Fig. 13-so long as one or both ends of the said envelope extend beyondthe'adjaccnt ends of the cigar in a diametrically compressed and condensed form to insure the circumferential fracture of the envelope at the end of the cigar by a strain laterally exerted, as described. In general, however, the closure by twisting will be found preferable. The outer edge ()r lap, c, of the envelope may, when desired, be fastened down by any suitable cementing material.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with a cigar or cheroot, of a protective envelope and a stripping, severin g, or removing device for facilitating the loosening and removal of said envelope when required, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a cigar or cheroot,

of a protective envelope of waxed paper, one or both ends of which are twisted to form a compacted self-retaining tongue or spur projecting from the end of the cigar or cheroot, substantially as and for the purpose herein, set forth.

3. The combination, with a cigar or cheroot, of an envelope ofsuitable flexible material, and a stripping, severing, or removing device the end or ends of which extend within one or both ends of the envelope, when the latter is secured in place to form a core or nucleus for the projecting spur or shank, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The combination, with a cigar or cheroot, of an envelope of suitable flexible material, one or both ends of which are closed by twisting upon or adjacent to the ends of the cigar or cheroot, and a stripping, severing, or removing device extended through one or both of the twisted ends of the envelope, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

JAMES A. WHITNEY.

Witnesses:

THOMAS E. CROSSMAN, RUDoLF BJELLMAN. 

